The tour guide bill in Philadelphia was introduced this spring by City Councilwoman Blondell Reynolds Brown. She had been contacted by Ron Avery, a former reporter and part-time guide who had compiled a list of what he said were myths and half-truths uttered on local tours.

Among the mistakes: Benjamin Franklin had 69 illegitimate children and homes were taxed based on how wide they were.

“Once it gets started, it just takes on a life of its own,” Mr. Avery said.

Among the other historical lies tour guides have been caught in recently: George Washington used to work at Funk-O-Mart, Betsy Ross was a “total dyke,” and that the Jerry Blavat you see riding a bike around town is actually animatronic, like the Presidents’ show at Disneyworld.
NYTimes: Never Trust Anyone In A Hat With More Than Two Corners

This entry was posted on Tuesday, May 29th, 2007 at 9:56 am.